Hello! I'm Joerg from Salzgitter, near Hanover in Germany. I'm a student studying Transport Management at Salzgitter University. I came to Swindon to undertake a work placement.

"I wanted to live with people of the same age because I wanted to make new friends, improve my English and explore the UK.

"Initially, I thought I could live with a family or in a shared house, but not on my own. It would be too expensive. When you're a student you have to look after your money!

"However, you just don't come to England to work; you come to have fun, meet new people and experience the culture. Life in England is very different to Germany - it's very nice! Staying in a shared house with Fantasticrooms was the best choice! My e-mails were answered quickly and I was happy with the response.

"I remember arriving by coach from Germany. The journey was cheap, but I wouldn't do it again! It was too long and delayed by 3 hours! Despite being so late my property manager waited for me and drove me to my house. He showed me how to use all the facilities like the washing machine and even gave me a tour of the town centre, pointing out where the cash machines and post office were.

"The people in the house were very friendly and open-minded. I had my own bedroom and there was a shared kitchen, lounge and bathroom. The house was located right in the town centre which meant I was near the bus station - great for catching national and local buses. Also, in England all the main supermarkets are also in the centre of town.

"Everyone I've met in Swindon has been friendly. It's been a nice experience and I've had a great time!"